Self-applicable sphygmomanometer



Jan. 20, 1959 l. A. SPEELMAN SELF-APPLICABLE SPHYGMOMANOMETER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 3, 1957 Irving A.Speelmqn Jan. 20, 1959 l. A.SPEELMAN SELF-APPLICABLE SPHYGMOMANOMETER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 3,1957 INVENTOR. Irving A. Speelmon ask. Mum...

Unite States are SELF-APPLICABLE SPHYGMOMANOMETER Irving A. Specimen,Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Propper Manufacturing Company, Inc., LongIsland City, N. Y.

Application December 3, 1957, Serial No. 700,430

1 Claim. (Cl. 128-105) mation is necessary to determine the dosage of aparticular drug which the person must receive.

Conventional sphygmomanometers are relatively simple to operate aftersuitable instruction if both hands may be used for manipulating theapparatus. When, however, a person attempts to take his own bloodpressure, the apparatus is placed around one arm immediate'y above theelbow, thereby rendering the hand of this one arm useless while mountingthe apparatus in proper operative position. As a result, the apparatusmust be placed in position using only one hand, and this is extremelydifficult, if not impossible, when employing known 'sphygmornanometerapparatus.

Since many persons who have a need for apparatus of this type areadvanced in years and may be quite feeble, the difficulty in assemblingprior art devices with one hand represents a serious handicap.

The present invention employs an arrangement wherein a pair of strapsare utilized for securing the apparatus in operative position. Each ofthese straps is provided with a quick disconnect fastener means on oneend thereof whereby the apparatus may be quickly and easily secured inposition, and an additional adjustable fastener means is provided foreach of the straps in order that the apparatus may be initially adjustedto accommodate arms of various girth, thereby eliminatingrte-adjustments when the apparatus is subsequently used by the sameperson.

A stethoscope diaphgram is fixed to the constriction cuff of theapparatus providing a compact arrangement whereby the diaphragm isautomatically fixed in proper position when the apparatus is assembledon the arm of a person. The remaining conventional components, includingan aneroid manometer, an inflation bulb, and a stethoscope listeningmeans, are connected to the various components of the cuff throughsuitable tubes and fittings. The aforesaid described arrangement of thepresent invention permits quick and easy mounting of the apparatus inoperative position when using only one hand and substantially eliminatesthe necessity of subsequent i e-adjustment of the apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and novelself-applicable sphygmomanometer which can be quiclily and easilymounted in operative position upon the arm of a person while using onlyone hand.

Another object is the provision of a self-applicable sphygmomanometerwhich requires a minimum of adjustment upon subsequent use by the sameperson.

thereof.

A further object is to provide a self-applicable sphygmomanometer whichis simple and inexpensive in construction, yet efficient and reliable inoperation.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the presentinvention will become more clear when considered in connection with thefollowing specification and accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l a view of the cuff of the apparatus in open position, Fig. 2 is aview of a modification of the apparatu's, Fig. 3 is an enlargedsectional view taken along the line III-Ill of Fig. 1 looking in thedirection of the arrows, Fig. 4 is a View of a portion of the apparatusshown in Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is an enlarged view taken along the line V--V ofFig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, and Fig. 6 is a viewshowing the assembled device in proper operative position about the armof a person.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicatelike or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shownin Fig. 1 a constriction cuff it) formed of a suitable fabric and havinga conventional hollow resilient inflatable member indicated by dottedline 11 secured to the inner surface Inflatable member 11 may be formed,for example, of rubber and two tubes 12 and 13 are connected to theinflatable member and are in communication with the interior thereof.

As seen more clearly in Fig. 3, a stethoscope diaphragm 15 has twoconcentric cylindrical portions 16 and 17 fixed to the upper surface 18thereof and projecting through suitable openings 19 and 20 provided ininflatable member 11 and the cuff 10 respectively. A washer 21 isdisposed about cylindrical portion 16 of the diaphragm and is urged intoengagement with the upper surface of the cuff by nut 22 which isthreaded onto the outer threaded surface of portion 16. In this mannerthe stethoscope diaphragm is fixed to the cuff of the apparatus suchthat the inflatable member 11 is disposed between the cuff and thediaphragm. It should be noted that the inner surface of portion 16 isalso threaded for a purpose hereinafter described.

Referring again to Fig. 1, two similar adjustable fastener means 25 aresecured to the outer surface of cuff 1d and, as seen in greater detailin Fig. 5, each of these fastener means is similar to a conventionalsuspender fastener and includes a pivotal member 26 which permitsassociated straps 27 passing therethrough to move downwardly as seen inthe drawings but wil prevent movement in an upward direction unlessmembers 26 are pivoted manu'ally'out of engagement with the straps.

Each of the straps 27 has secured to the upper end thereof a femalefitting 28 which is adapted to engage male fittings 29 secured to theupper surface of the cuff when the apparatus is in operative position.Fittings 28 and 29 are of the well-known galoshes type and pro vide aquick-disconnect means whereby the straps may be quickly and easilyconnected and disconnected to the cuff when the apparatus is inoperative position. As seen in the modification shown in 2 of thedrawings, the arrangement of fittings 28 and 29 may be reversed in sucha manner that the female fittings are secured to the upper surface ofthe cuff and the male fittings 2.9 are secured to the upper ends ofstraps ZF. The remaining components of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 areidentical with those of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 6 of the drawings, the sphygmomanometer apparatusaccording to the present invention is shown in proper operative positionabout the arm of a person and in such position the right-hand end 3:) ofthe cuff as seen in the drawing is disposed approximately one inch abovethe bend in the arm and the stethoscope is disposed directly over thebrachial artery in the arm.

When the apparatus is initiallyplaced in position about the arm,fittings 28 and 29 are actuated into locked position and the oppositeloose ends 32 of the straps 27 are pulled through fittings 25 until thecuff is sufficiently tightened about the arm. The loose ends 32 of thestraps may then be cut off leaving a small portion indicated at 33 inFig. 6 extending beyond fittings 25 thereby providing for additionalsmall adjustments of the straps should they be necessary, although afterthe initial adjustment, no re-adjustments should be required unlessthere is a change in the size of the arm of the person using theapparatus.

It is apparent that once the straps have been initially adjusted, thecuff may be quickly and easily placed about the biceps of the arm of aperson by means of quickdisconnect fasteners 28 and 29. After mountingthe cufi about the biceps, a conventional aneroid manometer 35 isconnected to the outer end of tube 13 by means of a suitable fitting 36having a friction fit with fitting 37 fixed to the outer end of tube 13.A conventional inflating means or bulb 38, having a release valve 39operable by thumb screw 40, is connected to the outer end of tube 12 bymeans of a, suitable fitting 41 having a friction fit with a fitting 42fixed to the outer end of tube 12.

A conventional binaural stethoscope listening means including twosimilar ear fittings 45 is connected through tubes 46 and 47 to a Yconnector 48 which, in turn, is connected to a tube 49. The lower end oftube 49 is provided with male member 50 of a so-called Luer lockingconnection, the upper portion of which has a friction fit with the innersurface of tube 49. A knurled annular projection 51 is formed integralwith member 50 and the lower end thereof has an annular flange extendingradially therefrom with two diametrically opposite cut-out portions 52one of which is visible in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Member 50 is threadedinto the correspondingly threaded interior of portion 16 of thestethoscope diaphragm and cylinder 17 of the stethoscope diaphragmextends upwardly within the opening 53 formed longitudinally throughmember 50. In this manner, tube 49 and the associated stethoscopelistening means are connected to the stethoscope diaphragm whereby theflow of blood in the brachial artery of the person may be detected.

When the apparatus has been assembled, as shown in Fig. 6, the earfittings 45 are suitably disposed in the member 11 of the apparatus maythen be inflated and deflated in accordance with well-establishedprocedure for taking blood pressure readings.

It is apparent from the foregoing that there is provided a new and novelself-applicable sphygmomanometer which may be quickly and easily placedin proper operative position by the person while using only one hand andwhich requires a minimum of adjustment after initially adjusting theapparatus for use upon the arm of the particular person. The apparatusis simple and inexpensive in construction providing a compactarrangement which is relatively fool-proof and, further, the a;paratusis effective and reliable in operation.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characterlstics thereof, the presentembodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since thescope of the inventi n is defined by the appended claims and all changesthat fall Within the metes and bounds of the claim or that form theirfunctional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are thereforeintended to be embraced by the claim.

What is claimed is:

A self-applicable sphygmomanometer which comprises, in combination, aconstriction cuff having an inflatable portion, a stethoscope diaphragmfixed to said cuff, a pair of straps for securing said cuff in operativeposition about a portion of the human body, first fastenter means forsecuring one end of each of said straps to said cuff, each of said firstfastener means including a first fitting fixed to said cuff and a secondcooperative fitting secured to the end portion of the associated strap,adjustable fastener means for fastening said cuff to another portion ofeach of said straps, each of said adjustable fastener means comprising afitting secured to said cuff, each of said straps passing through itsassociated adjustable fastener fitting, inflating means for inflatingand deflating said inflatable portion, means for operatively connectingsaid inflating means with said inflatable portion, manometer means forindicating the pressure in said inflatable portion, means foroperatively connecting said manometer means with said inflatableportion, stethoscope listening means, and means operatively connectingsaid stethoscope listening means with said stethoscope diaphragm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,753,863 Bailey July 10, 1956 2,823,676 Clark Feb. 18, 1958 FOREIGNPATENTS 560,016 France June 28, 1923

